Preparing for EU membership: The paradox of doing what the EU does not require you to do

Article abstract:

As acceding countries are progressing with their formal preparations to comply with the requirements of EU membership, they should also consider whether they have the capacity to play an active role within the EU and derive all the benefits of EU membership.

The purpose of this paper is to outline how acceding countries can become effective members of the EU. It identifies certain tasks which are not formally mandated by the EU and for which the EU provides no guidance. The application of EU directives and regulations depends on the existence of extensive institutional and administrative capacity. To build that capacity, they need to do much more than merely adopt EU law. Paradoxically, they have to do things that the EU does not ask them to do.

Their ability to derive the maximum benefits from EU membership will very much depend on their success or failure in influencing nascent EU rules, in complying with them and in re-engineering their economies so as to 'exploit' as much as possible EU policies and programmes.

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